Hoop dreams

Neil Lennon hopes the Celtic squad which pushed Rangers so close in last season's title race can claim the trophy this time around. A quiet summer on the transfer front highlights how content Lennon is with the players at his disposal. The manager himself needs a title win to illustrate improvement during his tenure.

Rangers reconnaissance

Ally McCoist has endured a frantic close season in seeking to boost a Rangers squad which is in obvious need of fresh blood. Intrigue surrounds how matters will unfold between McCoist – in his first season as a manager – and the new Rangers owner, Craig Whyte. In pre-season, McCoist's men failed to shine.

Third or better

Hearts came close to spectacularly surrendering third place to Dundee United last season, the Edinburgh team completely losing form from January onwards. While Hearts are downsizing, they still have the strongest squad outside the Old Firm. United, their most likely challengers, are just one of many clubs whose squad appears to have been weakened since May.

A team going places

St Mirren avoided relegation last season but can now set their sights higher. The signings of the former Scotland international duo Steven Thompson and Gary Teale, added to the arrival of the ex-Celtic player Paul McGowan, gives the Paisley team attacking options which could take the rest of the league by surprise.

Flower of Scotland

Jamie Murphy has operated in the Motherwell first-team for so long that it is easy to forget the striker is only 21. After his progress stalled somewhat, Murphy improved markedly during Craig Brown's time as the Motherwell manager. Brown's successor, Stuart McCall, knows that bigger clubs will circle if Murphy starts this season impressively.

Golden oldie

David Weir, in his 42nd year, has signed on for another season at Rangers, taking the "veteran" label to a new and frankly ridiculous level. As inspirations for men of a certain age everywhere go, Weir is right up there with Sir Bruce Forsyth or Hugh Heffner. Dundee United's second-choice goalkeeper, Steve Banks, is a relative youngster compared to Weir at the tender age of 39.

Here comes trouble

Hearts' reputation as the bad boys of the SPL is endorsed by some wild tackling by their midfielder Ian Black – with Nikica Jelavic and El-Hadji Diouf two of his recent high-profile victims. Black, a former Blackburn Rovers trainee, is yet to realise that players who cannot tackle probably shouldn't.

• This article was amended on 8 August 2011 because the original said Hearts surrendered third place to Dundee United last season.